Rzeszow Yizkor Book
overview

An overview of the Hebrew section of the Rzeszow Yizkor
book.

Translated by Jerrold Landau

Notes from the translator

This overview translation of the Hebrew section of the Rzeszow
Yizkor
book contains the following features:

Headings and subheadings of all sections.

Photo captions only where the Hebrew caption adds detail. In the
Hebrew
section of the book, the photo captions are already translated for the
most part, so where the translation is direct, it will not be noted in
this overview. However, often the Hebrew translation adds lists of
names
and other such information. In such cases, the caption is
translated.

A cross reference into the English section for articles that appear
both
in the Hebrew and English section. A cross reference into the
Yiddish section
for articles that appear both in the Hebrew and Yiddish section. There
may be omissions in either cross reference.

When I judged that an item in the English version of the Hebrew
table of
contents could have been worded better, I took the liberty of using my
own version in this overview.

Map legends.

Page numbers are indicated in square brackets[], and are the only item
on a line. Translator’s footnotes are indicated by square brackets
[] in
the text. My own notes inserted in the translation are indicated by
curly
brackets{}.

The city is known as Rzeszow in Polish. In Jewish circles it is
often
known as Reisha or Zhezhev. I have generally used the name Rzeszow
in this
translation.

There was no consistency of the English versions of names in this
book.
The English versions of names often appear in different forms in
different
parts of the book. For example, the table of contents may have the
name
spelled differently than it is spelled in a photo caption of the
same article.
I used my best judgement, but any corrections would be appreciated.

[5]
TABLE OF CONTENTS - First Section – Hebrew
{A complete translation of the Hebrew table of contents appears in
the English section.}

[7]
Second Section – Yiddish
{A complete translation of the Yiddish table of contents appears
in
the English section.}

[8]
List of Photographs
{footnote at bottom of column reads "documents, certificates and
title
pages of books do not appear in this list".}

Aleph. History of the Jews of Rzeszow

Drawing of the city in 1762

23

Rzeszow in 1856

21

The city square in 1895

24

Lubomirski's castle

28

Business on market day

33

Jewish peddlers on Mateyko St.

34

In the synagogue in 1917

44

A section of the cemetery

45

Remnants of graves from the old cemetery

46

The chicken market

51

Fruit and vegetable stands

52

Mickiewicz Street

54

Business on market day

57

Editorial board of Volkszeitung newspaper

60

Hashachar convention, 1908

62

Dr. Henry Yitzchak Wachtel

66

The interior of the old synagogue

67

Tzvi Simcha Leder

68

Rzeszow in 1890

70

Beit. Faith and Tradition in Rzeszow

Abba Apfelbaum

71

Rabbi Moshe Kamelhar

72

The holy ark of the old synagogue

76

Rabbi Aaron Lewin

82

The gravestone of Rabbi Nathan Lewin

84

Rabbi Dr. Yitzchak Lewin

86

Rabbi Dr. Joshua Thon and Rabbi Aaron Lewin

87

"Rabbi Aaron Lewin, Reb Eliezer Lev"

89

The family of Rabbi Aaron Lewin

90

Rabbi Dr. Yechezkel Lewin

91

The synagogue in the 17th century

94

Rabbi Yekutiel Aryeh Kamelhar

95

Rabbi Issachar Berish Halpern

100

The Yeshiva of Rabbi Yosef Reich

102

On the route to the synagogue

106

Rabbi Avraham Chaim Horowitz of Plantsh

114

The Rabbi Reb Tzvi Eliemelech

116

M. Sh. Geshuri

118

Meir Diener

123

Dov Menachem Konwisser

123

Cantor D. M. Konwisser and his choir

124

A drawing of the synagogues of Rzeszow

126

The plan of the synagogue

126

The interior of the old synagogue

127

The old synagogue

127

Gimel. In the Haskala Press

The government school for girls

129

Grade 4 in the school in 1890

130

Daled. Before and Between the World Wars

Members of "Hashachar" in 1922

139

Leon Weisenfeld

140

The teacher "Fink"" and her students

142

A group of general Zionists

143

The committee of "Histadrut Hatzionit" in 1932

144

The executive of "Poale Zion" 1913

148

The committee of the League of Workers for Eretz Yisrael

149

Bernard Fish

150

Hashachar in 1927

151

Hechalutz in Rzeszow

152

David the son of Avraham Tuchfeld

153

A group of "Hanoar Hatzioni" in 1929

154

Workers of "Bnei Zion"

155

The charter members of "Akiva"

156

Naftali Hakhel

157

Young Mizrachi in 1922

159

Mizrachi activists in 1932

162

Young Mizrachi in 1922

163

The executive of "Agudath Yisrael" youth

164

Avraham Mussinger

165

The Revisionist movement in 1928

166

Revisionist conference in Rzeszow

167

Zeev Jabotinski in Rzeszow

168

Dr. Joshua Alexander Rosner

169

Pepa Lisak Tuchfeld

170

Maccabia University students organization, 1932

171

Kibbutznik Meir Yaari

172

Hashomer Hatzair in 1926

173

Hashomer Hatzair in 1928

174

A group of older youth 1929

175

Meeting on the banks of the Wislok River, 1929

176

Lotke Shlisselberg (Kleid)

178

Yehoshua Strassberg

181

Hanoar Hatzioni

181

A group of "Hanoar Hatzioni" in 1930

182

Klara Ma'ayan (Munzberg)

183

Hanoar Hatzioni with the parents' committee

184

A group of "Hanoar Hatzioni"

185

Teachers and students at the Hebrew Gymnasia (High School)

186

A class with their teacher at the Hebrew school

187

A class with their teachers at the Hebrew Gymnasia

187

A procession of students at the Hebrew school

187

Teachers and students at the Hebrew school, 1922

188

Bar Kochba, 1932

189

Bar Kochba

190

Bar Kochba

191

A group of boxers in 1935

192

Esther Weisenfeld

193

Children of the orphanage on a summer holiday

194

Beit Haam

195

Chalutzim digging the foundations of Beit Haam

196

The Jewish Hospital of Rzeszow

197

Slowczki St.

198

Rzeszow

200

He. Memories and Experiences

Two pumps in the Potters' Street

203

Baldachowka Street

204

Berik Joselewicz Street

207

Young Zion (Yardenia) in 1912

210

Hashomer Hatzair in 1916

211

Yad Charutzim workers' union

214

Children of the orphanage

215

Zionists during the First World War

219

The leadership of "Hashomer Hatzair" in 1918

221

Jewish officers on Passover leave, 1916

223

Teacher M. Davidson with the first students of the Hebrew
school

225

Ben Zion Fett

229

A meeting of Rzeszow emigres in Tel Aviv

231

Moshe Ungerfeld

232

Irving Low

234

The railway station

236

A memorial gathering in 1965

239

The committee of "Ivria" in 1925

240

Nachum Sternheim

241

The city square and town hall

242

[9]

Vav. Maskilim and Writers

Moshe David Geshwind

243

Dr. Ovadia Barshal

246

Moshe Alter

248

Chaim Wald

249

Moshe Weisenfeld

252

Leon and Esther Weisenfeld

253

A performance of "Tzeristene Neshomes" (Sad Souls) in 1919

255

Berish Weinstein

256

Simcha Seiden

261

Nachum Sternheim and his wife

262

Zayin. Characters and Personalities

Yaakov Alter

264

Professor Meir Balaban and his wife Gisela (nee Alter)

264

A meeting in Tel Aviv in 1954

266

Dr. Felix Hoffman

267

Dr. Aaron (Arthur) Wang

269

Asher Silver

269

Levi Chaim

270

Dr. Tzvi Kanarek

270

Naftali Tuchfeld

271

Anna Kahane

272

Irving Low

273

Shlomo Munzberg

274

Rabbi Dr. Tzvi Koretz

275

Yaakov Elimelech Knecht

276

Malka Knecht

276

Yitzchak Oestreicher

278

At a party in honor of Tzvi Simcha Leder

279

Reuven Eckstein

280

Yitzchak son of Mordechai Mintz

281

Moshe David Ashriel

284

Yehoshua Ashriel

284

Joscha Shapira, Baruch Wachspress, Avraham Tuchfeld

285

Yisrael Kamelhar

289

A drawing by Menachem Ron

291

Dr. Asher Alexander Heller

295

Chet. The Holocaust

Slaughter in the Forests of Glogow

298

A group of those deported from Rzeszow on their final way

299

Entrance to the mass grave

300

Grete Heller

301

Mala Krischer Munzberg

307

The entrance to the ghetto

308

The slaughter of the Jews in the forests of Glogow

309

The communal grave in the forests of Glogow

310

Lotka Goldberg

312

Certificate of transfer to forced labor

313

In front of mass grave

314

People who were deported from the Rzeszow ghetto

315

The house of Eliezer Lev, which housed the last remnants of
Rzeszow
Jews

318

The entrance to the bunker at the side of Shiper's house

319

Death march

321

The murderers, their assistants and their victims in the forests
of
Glogow

"Oh that my head would be full of water
and my eyes a wellspring of tears,
I would weep day and night
Over the victims of my people"
(Jeremiah 8, 23)

{An poetic elegy commemorating the destruction of Rzeszow}

[14]
Rzeszow by Berish Weinstein
{memories of Rzeszow, written in Yiddish}

[16]
Map of Rzeszow In the heart of eastern Galicia
{A map of the area of Rzeszow, from Tarnow in the west to Przemysl
and Sambor in the East, from Tarnobrzeg in the north to Dulka, Zagorz,
and Lesko in the south. All captions are in English and Hebrew. The
English
version gives the Polish spelling of the names.}

[17]
I. History of the Jews of Rzeszow by Dr. Nathan Michael Gelber
{An extensive history of the city by the eminent Galician
historian,
Gelber.}
1. Development of the Town

[25]
2. The Community until 1772

[31]
3. Occupations and Livelihood of the Jews

[36]
4. The Community

[42]
5. The Rabbis of the City
{This is the only chapter of the Gelber section that is translated
in the English section. The translation appears on pages 35-37 of
the English.}

[65]
Goldsmiths in Rzeszow by Dr. Moshe Yaari-Wald
{footnote at bottom of page reads - this section was transcribed
from
the story of F. Kotula}

[66]
Pages of History by Dr. Henry Wachtel
{There is a 20 page historical treatise by Dr. Wachtel in the
English
section, pages 13-34. This short 2 page Hebrew article apparently
consists
of selections from the English treatise.}

[68]
Jewish Rzeszow by Tzvi Simcha Leder
{There is an English article by Herman Leder on pages 38-41. It
does
not appear to be a direct translation, but it covers much of the
same material
as this Hebrew article. There is a much longer article by Leder in the
Yiddish section pages 428-448.}

[71]
II. Faith and Tradition in Rzeszow The Rabbis of Rzeszow by Abba
Apfelbaum

[72]
The City and its Rabbis by Rabbi Moshe Kamelhar of Jerusalem 1.
The
Early Community

[74]
2. The Rabbis of the Community

[75]
3. The Rabbi Gaon Reb Shmuel Halevi and his sons

[76]
4. The Gaon Reb Aryeh Leib, son-in-law of the "Chacham Tzvi",
and his
sons

[103]
Hassidism in Rzeszow
Rzeszow in Hassidic Circles by M. Sh. Geshuri
1. Early Hassidism in Galicia and Rzeszow

[105]
2. Hassidic Prayer Houses

[107]
3. Rzeszow in the Controversy between Tzanz and Sadigora [5]I. The Background of the Controversy

[108]
II. Rzeszow Joins the Controversy

[110]
III. Rabbinic Questions and Responsa between Tzanz and its Rabbis
{Letters from the leader of the Tzanzer Hassidim to the Rabbinic
leaders
of Rzeszow}

[112]
4. Hassidic Tzadikim in Rzeszow and the Vicinity [6]I. Rabbi Eliezer Weisblum (Rabbi Eliezer Reisher)
{This page includes a copy of the title pages of "Mishe
Lamelech" by
Rabbi Eliezer Reisher, and notes that the introduction is by
Issachar Berish
Halpern.}

[124]
Prayer Leaders for the High Holydays
{photo on bottom of page 124} Cantor Dov Menachem Konwisser and
his
choir (July 1931). First Row from right: Shechter, Herzl the son of
the
cantor Second row from right: Moshe Spergel, the Cantor, Sturm,
Chaim Grinfeld.
Third Row: -- -- -- Kolar Kfar Has, --, Eckstein

[125]
Synagogue in Rzeszow by Eng. David Davidovitch of Tel Aviv
{drawing on bottom of page 125} A synagogue, the womens'
auxiliary,
the house of study, and a small synagogue in Rzeszow according the
drawing
of George Lukomski (The Jewish Museum of New York).

[126]
{synagogue plans in right column} Grota (a typical synagogue
plan in
Germany, Bohemia, and Poland). At top, the plan of the old
synagogue. At
bottom, the plan and cross section of the new synagogue.

[128]
C. In the Haskala Press [8]{photo page 129} The Public Girls school on Grunwald St.

[130]
{photo page 130} Teacher Drerzynski and the grade four class of
the
public school in 1890.

[132]
D. Before and Between the Two World Wars Rzeszow in the Past by
Leon
Weisenfeld of Cleveland, U.S.A.
{There is a lengthy essay in the English section "The One Time
Reisha"
by Leon Weisenfeld (pages 42-56). This Hebrew article is much shorter,
and appears to be a summary of the English. The Yiddish section has
the
long version, pages 449-465.}

[134]
From Regime to Regime by Dr. Moshe Yaari-Wald
{The article "During the Interregnum" on pages 57-59 of the
English
section is a translation of this article.}
{newspaper bottom of page 135} Two front pages of Komunikat,
Jewish
newspaper of Rzeszow, one page in Yiddish, and one in Polish.

[137]
The Chaos of 1918 by Rabbi Moshe Kamelhar The Pogrom in Rzeszow by
Naftali Hakhel

[138]
The Sejm (Parliament) Committee, and the Ministers from Rzeszow by
Dr. Yechezkel Lewin
{photo bottom of page 139} Members of "Hashachar" in 1922, in
the center
is Rabbi Dr. Yechezkel Lewin

[157]
Religious Parties by Naftali Hakhel of Tel Aviv
{The photo is of Irving Low by mistake. The errata at the end of
the
book points out that the photo should have been of Naftali Hakhel, and
provides a photo of Naftali Hakhel.} Political Life in the 1920s The
Zionist
Organization "Mizrachi" organization and "Young Mizrachi"

The Betar Chapter Moves to its New Location in Bladochovka (1932)
Expansion of the Activities of the Revisionist Zionist
Confederation
in Rzeszow
The Chapter's Band
Physical Education and Military Hachshara

[167]
Visits of Leaders of the Revisionist Movement to Rzeszow

[168]
Professional Hachshara and the Betar Hachshara Group
Members of Betar and the Revisionist Zionists Make Aliya
Betar and the Irgun Tzvai Leumi [10]

[273]
Irving Low by David ben Yosef of Tel Aviv
{Two articles about Irving Low appear in the English section,
although
they are not written by the same author. They do not appear to be
direct
translations, but they cover more or less the same material. These
articles
appear on page 129-133 of the English section. There is a Yiddish
article
about Irving Low on pages 500- 501 of the Yiddish section, by Leon
Weisenfeld,
the author of one of the English articles.}

[274]
My Father Shlomo Munzberg by Klara Ma'ayan Munzberg

[275]
Rabbi Dr. Tzvi Koretz by Simcha Seiden
{An article about Rabbi Dr. Tzvi Hersch Koretz appears in the
English
section on pages 123-124. It is by Herman Leder, and does not appear
to
be a direct translation of the Hebrew, although it covers the same
material.}

[290]
The Dear Ones of Rzeszow by Yitzchak Isaac Nebenzahl of Ramat Gan

[291]
{An illustration by Menachem Ron, introducing the Holocaust
section.
The illustration is of a tortured man peering through a barbed wire
fence.
The quote, which appears in English and Hebrew, is from Jeremiah 10,
25,
and equivalent with the "Shfoch Chamatcha" (Pour out thy wrath)
section
of the latter portion of the Passover Seder.}

[292]
VIII. The Holocaust
In the Face of the Holocaust by Meir Yaari of Merchavia

[293]
Remember! By Klara Ma'ayan
{This article has been translated into English by Jerrold
Landau, and
is available on the Jewishgen website.}

[294]
The Destruction of the Rzeszow Community by Dr. Asher Alexander
Heller
of Tel Aviv
{This article is translated into English on pages 294-306 of the
English
section. This article appears in Yiddish on pages 515-536 of the
Yiddish
section.}

[307]
The End of the Rzeszow Community by Mala Krischer Munzberg of
Ramat
Aviv
{This article is translated into English on pages 95-97 of the
English
section.}

[311]
Maidanek Oh G-d by Berish Weinstein
{A poem, dedicated in memory of Malka, autographed by Berish
Weinstein,
and translated into Hebrew by Tzvi Shtok. The original Yiddish version
is on page 512 of the Yiddish section. There is another poem by Berish
Weinstein on page 73 of the English section, entitled "Millenia
Hence",
which was translated into English by Yaakov Sloan. That poem appears
in
the Yiddish section on page 376, but not in the Hebrew section.}

[312]
I Shall Not Die, But Shall Live by Lotka Goldberg of Tel Aviv [12]In memory of my mother, of blessed memory.
{The English translation is on pages 98-110 of the English
section.}

[322]
During the Nazi Occupation by Klara Ma'ayan Munzberg of Tel Aviv
{This article has been translated into English by Jerrold
Landau, and
appears on the jewishgen website}

[326]
I Escaped Death by Dr. Michael Scheeweiss of Tel Aviv
{This article is translated into English on pages 111-116 of the
English
section.}

[331]
Attempts at Resistance in Rzeszow by Dov Zucker

[332]
The Last Jews of Rzeszow by M. Hofstetter
{This article, describing the situation in the Jewish workcamp
"Judlager
Reichshof" near Rzeszow, was translated into English by Jerrold
Landau,
and appears on the jewishgen website.}

[336]
Chava Wuszka Jolles, a Girl Who fought by Menachem Levenstein
{photo page 336} Seated: Ita, the wife of Motish Eckstein. On
the right:
Chava (Wuszka) Jolles On the left Chana the daughter of Reuven
Eckstein.

[338]
Rzeszow in 1946 by Marcus Dornfest

[339]
A daughter of Rzeszow in Revolt by M. Weinstein Lasar of Tel Aviv
(A chapter of memories from Auschwitz}

[340]
Gola (Golda) Mira, an Anti-Nazi Fighter

[342]
The Fate of Rzeszow Jewry 1939-1944 by Franciszek Kotula, director
of the Civic Museum of Rzeszow

[344]
B. Synagogues and Cemeteries

[346]
C. A Bundle of Memories

[348]
D. The Catacombs of Rzeszow (How Jews vanished a day before the
liquidation
of the ghetto)
{The English translation is on pages 117-118 of the English
section.}

[350]
Polish Evidence on the Extermination of the Jews of Rzeszow by Jan
Forczek

[352]
Memories by Professor Juliusz Kyaz of Krakow-Rzeszow
{pages 352-360 consist of detailed city maps of areas of
Rzeszow. The
inscriptions on the maps are in Polish, with some Hebrew translations.
The map legends are only in Hebrew, and will be translated here.
They appear
in 4 tables at the top going from right to left. The numbering on
these
tables is not always consecutive.}

[365]
Small Towns and Villages in the Rzeszow District by Dr. Moshe
Yaari
Wald
{English translation is on pages 68-70 of the English section.}

[367]
The Liberation by Moshe Reich of Haifa
A Visit to Rzeszow in 1962 by Chaya Shlisselberg Tamari of Tel
Aviv

[368]
A Summing Up of Five Hundred Years of Life by Manes Fromer of
Holon

[369]
IX. Obituaries by Sarah Altman Avraham Altman

[370]
Avraham Teitelbaum

[371]
Mordechai the son of Elchanan Lifschutz
Simcha the son of Mordechai Lifschutz

[372]
Eighteen Years of the "Organization of Rzeszow and the District"
in
Israel by Yitzchak Oestreicher, the chairman of the Rzeszow
organization
of Israel
{English translation is on pages 134-136 of the English section.}
{photo page 372} A torah scroll was dedicated to a synagogue in
memory
of the martyrs of Rzeszow on the night of Lag Baomer 5712 12.5.1952
[15].
Standing from right: Naftali Tuchfeld, Yitzchak Oestreicher,
Meshulam Davidson,
Efraim Wachtel (child), Chaim Kraut, Shpitz, Avraham Silberman,
Teitelbaum.
Second row, fourth from right: Yaakov Rabhon.

[375]
{The Yiddish section follows immediately on paged 375-544. This
overview
does not include the Yiddish section at this time; however, the Hebrew
overview does contain cross references of the Yiddish articles where
applicable.}

Translator's Footnotes

3. Eicha is the Hebrew name for the Book of
Lamentations
of the Bible, which is read in the synagogue on the fast of Tisha
Beov,
which commemorates the destruction of the two Temples, plus many other
tragedies that befell the Jewish people over the centuries. The term
Eicha
is often used as a title or refrain for elegies that form part of
the Tisha
Beov service. The verse which follows is part of the haftara
(prophetic
reading) that is read in the synagogue morning of Tisha Beov, and
the style
of the elegy is very similar to the elegies of the Tisha Beov
morning service. (Back)

5. Tzanz (named after the city of Nowy
Sacz), and
Sadigora are two Hassidic groups. (Back)

6. Tzadik (plural Tzadikim), literaly
'righteous
ones', is a term often used for Hassidic leaders. (Back)

7. Yeshiva (plural Yeshivot) is a school of
higher
Jewish religious learning. (Back)

8. Haskala is the enlightenment, which
represents
the move of Eastern European Jewry away from strict religious
observance,
and toward the modern world, and to some degree assimilation. (Back)

9. Zeev (Vladimir) Jabotinsky was the
founder of
the Revisionist Zionist movement. (Back)

10. Irgun Zvai Leumi, often known by its
acronym
Etzel was one of the Jewish militias in pre 1948 Palestine. (Back)

11. Chamisha Asar Bishvat is the same as Tu
Bishvat,
which is a minor Jewish Holiday marking the beginning of the
blossoming
of trees. Tu is an acronym for Chamisha Asar, meaning 15. The
holiday falls
on the 15th of the Hebrew month of Shvat (January or
February).
(Back)

12. The title is taken from a verse in the
book
of Psalms: I shall not die, but shall live, and tell of the deeds of
G-d.
This verse is part of the Hallel service recited in the synagogue on
the
major festivals. The title of the article on page 326, is, with a
change
of tense, also taken from an adjacent chapter of the book of Psalms,
also
part of Hallel. The title is "I saved myself from death", and the
quote
from Psalms is "For You saved me from death". These chapters in Psalms
describe a close brush with death, and the subsequent praise of G-d by
the Psalmist after the salvation. (Back)

13. Tashlich is a prayer recited by the banks
of a river on the afternoon of the first day of Rosh Hashana, or the
second
day if the first day falls on the Sabbath. (Back)

14. 27 of Nissan, 5 days after the conclusion
of Passover, is Holocaust Remembrance Day in the Jewish calendar.
(Back)

15. Lag Baomer is a minor Jewish holiday
occurring
on the 18th of Iyar. (Back)

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